THE CHANGE IS HAPPENING
Asia is the largest
egg-producing region in the world.
Ditching cages in the egg and food industry could impact the lives of millions of hens.
Asia's cage-free egg production has gained momentum in recent years. Many companies and producers adopted cage-free policies in response to increasing consumer demand for better welfare for laying hens.
These commitments came from various industries including hospitality, retail, restaurants, and packaged goods.
IN 2022 SINERGIA ANIMAL AND OTHER NGOs HELPED ACHIEVE:
05
Commitments
in Asia
45
Global commitments
WHY ARE BATTERY CAGES CRUEL?
Lack of space
Up to 12 birds can be crowded into a small cage. This usually means that each bird has less space than an A4-sized sheet of paper in which to spend their life.
Frustration
They cannot engage in natural behaviors such as spreading their wings, walking freely, or nesting. This constantly frustrates them.
Pain
Caged hens tend to suffer from bone diseases such as osteoporosis, making them prone to fractures and deformities. They have to stand on a metal grate that hurts their feet.
Death and filth
Sometimes dead hens are left to rot for days, forcing the surviving birds to live with decomposing bodies at their feet. Hens are often also forced to live in their own feces.
Public health
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that cage systems have a higher prevalence of Salmonella compared to cage-free systems.
Cage-free systems have the potential to reduce animal suffering significantly. In these systems, hens live in sheds (with or without access to outside areas), and but they have access to enriched areas with, for example, straw to graze on, and perches to climb.
WHAT IS A CAGE-FREE POLICY?
A growing number of companies have pledged to stop sourcing eggs produced in cruel battery cage systems, publishing cage-free policies on their website, social media, or other communication outlets.
1
Company uses eggs in their products, or market sells eggs.
2
a. Company publishes a cage-free commitment pledging to only use or sell eggs from cage-free farms.
However, clear targets and progress tracking are necessary to ensure that commitments are being fulfilled and, if not, companies must be held accountable to their promises.
3
Company starts implementing changes and moves gradually towards using 100% cage-free eggs by a set deadline.
4
Cage-Free Tracker monitors implementation and holds companies accountable.
b. If a company does not want to publish a policy, NGOs like Sinergia Animal work with dialogue and pressure to ask them for a commitment.